My Rant on one aspect of last nights game.

joffaboy · Post: # 568422Post **joffaboy** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:35pm

Now I haven't seen the reply but was on L2 in the forward pocket when Kosi used his strength on Wakelin and then timed his mark to perfection.

It was a crucial time in the match and to me it seemed a genuine one on one contest won brilliantly by Kosi. Of course the umpire, who we all know think they are more important than the players gave a free kick to Wakelin.

Now this is not about Kosi, or the result of last night, but the disheartening and continuing diminution of the thing that initially brought to love the game of AFL football.

As I stated last night Plugger would have never scored a goal if he couldn't use his strength like Kosi did last night. This is vreeping in more and more. Last year Fevola brilliantly used his strenght on Gwilt to take an absolute beauty of a mark against us but Gwilt gets the soft free kick.

Last night the key forwards on both sides had no impact. The AFL and its wanton obsession with play on and speed is just taking big men out of the game, unless of course if you are Buddy Frankin or Riewoldt who runs like midfielder but is 195 cm, and how many big forwards are like that?

That decision last night has almost torn it for me regarding AFL. No it is not the fact the Saints aren't going well, after all I hav supported the Saints for 42 years and have been a members since arriving in Melbourne in 1988. It is the way the AFl made in the image of Demetriou and his monkey Anderson is just intent on making the game vanilla with 180 cm midfielders the only player who will get a game.

Add to this the fact that we are about to have a bevvie of compromised drafts, it means that the game will pass by at least 5 Victorian clubs, the Saints being one.

The AFL dont mind sacrificing their heartland supporters in Melbourne by compromising the draft for Gold Coast and West Sydney and supposed "new" theatre going fans. They have made it ultra quick, are phasing out big forwards, and are ditching their traditional supports in their obscene drive to expand.

Well I just watch a wet and scrappy Casey Scorps v Collingwood VFL match were the Scorps only kicked 10 goals, but enjoyed it enormously. Football doesn't have to be free flowing keepings off the AFL want, it can be tough in and under with heaps of stoppages, and still be a good game of footy.

My heart sank last night when Kosi was robbed of that great mark by a pathetic and inconsistant umpire. I paid $585 for 11 games this year. I can guarantee tht I will not be paying that for my membership next year.

I will continue to support the Saints, I will continue to buy a membership, because, well, what else can i do? I am a Sainter for life. However something has changed for me in watching football.

For the first time in my life last night, I left early. However I am sure Demetriou and Anderson will be happy with their "product" and their "expansion" and hang the typical Melbourne supporter.

/rant

Post: # 568426Post **n1ck** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:39pm

Nice post, JB.

Solar · Post: # 568429Post **Solar** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:40pm

shocker of a decision. You cannot give a free against a player for using their strength. Both players were holding each other and kosi won the wrestle and timed the mark wonderfully. As you said it was in a crucial time of the match.

The biggest problem is that the umpires are more worried about missing a free then paying whats there. The whole point of a free kick was always to punish someone doing the wrong thing. Not punish the player who attacks the football and uses their body to beat a player.

mad saint guy · Sat 17 May 2008 5:43pm

It's paid most times these days. Apparently it is illegal to be stronger than your opponent.

Mr Magic · Post: # 568437Post **Mr Magic** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:46pm

mad saint guy wrote:It's paid most times these days. Apparently it is illegal to be stronger than your opponent.

But you're allowed to hold your opponent as longas he's 10-15 metres away from teh ball, which is what happened all night without any panalty except a free paid against Montagna.

joffaboy · Post: # 568439Post **joffaboy** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:47pm

mad saint guy wrote:It's paid most times these days. Apparently it is illegal to be stronger than your opponent.

Sadly - my whole point exactly

danners · Post: # 568442Post **danners** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:48pm

id say if it had have been j.brown, l.franklin, c.mooney or any other like them then it would have been payed a mark.

remember we have the worst relationship with the umpires

esaint66 · Post: # 568450Post **esaint66** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:52pm

danners wrote:id say if it had have been j.brown, l.franklin, c.mooney or any other like them then it would have been payed a mark.

remember we have the worst relationship with the umpires

Very true ... it's actually a fact.

Monney and Thursfield were both going at it a couple of minutes agao and they had a hold of each others jumpers and mooney thrusted thursfiled out but was payed the mark and kicked a goal to put a bit of a break on the tigers.

CRAP !!!!!

brown-coat · Post: # 568454Post **brown-coat** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:54pm

Demetriou and his acolytes are planting poisonous ruinous seeds in the heart of AFL.

The new rule stating you can't be stronger than your opponent is epic fail.

Mr Magic · Post: # 568455Post **Mr Magic** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:54pm

saint edward wrote:
danners wrote:id say if it had have been j.brown, l.franklin, c.mooney or any other like them then it would have been payed a mark.

remember we have the worst relationship with the umpires

Very true ... it's actually a fact.

Monney and Thursfield were both going at it a couple of minutes agao and they had a hold of each others jumpers and mooney thrusted thursfiled out but was payed the mark and kicked a goal to put a bit of a break on the tigers.

CRAP !!!!!

No, you're wrong. Plugger66 will tell you why.

joffaboy · Post: # 568457Post **joffaboy** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:55pm

brown-coat wrote:Demetriou and his acolytes are planting poisonous ruinous seeds in the heart of AFL.

The new rule stating you can't be stronger than your opponent is epic fail.

Dont often agree with you brown-coat but you are spot on100% on this call

EPIC FAIL indeed.

savatage · Post: # 568458Post **savatage** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:56pm

Mr Magic wrote:
saint edward wrote:
danners wrote:id say if it had have been j.brown, l.franklin, c.mooney or any other like them then it would have been payed a mark.

remember we have the worst relationship with the umpires

Very true ... it's actually a fact.

Monney and Thursfield were both going at it a couple of minutes agao and they had a hold of each others jumpers and mooney thrusted thursfiled out but was payed the mark and kicked a goal to put a bit of a break on the tigers.

CRAP !!!!!
No, you're wrong. Plugger66 will tell you why.

Haha it's funny because it's true.

joffaboy · Post: # 568463Post **joffaboy** » Sat 17 May 2008 5:59pm

saint edward wrote:
danners wrote:id say if it had have been j.brown, l.franklin, c.mooney or any other like them then it would have been payed a mark.

remember we have the worst relationship with the umpires

Very true ... it's actually a fact.

Monney and Thursfield were both going at it a couple of minutes agao and they had a hold of each others jumpers and mooney thrusted thursfiled out but was payed the mark and kicked a goal to put a bit of a break on the tigers.

CRAP !!!!!

Just wrecks the game.

As I said it has torn it for me. No more spending almost $600 a year on a game that is being ruined. Still ove footy but as a freind said last night when he goes to and AFL match he is watching the umpires almost as much as the players.

Oh this is not sour grapes. Collingwood won fair and square last night. Both team looked rooted in qtr4, ran themselves into the ground.

I am just bemoaning the fact that the AFl seem intent of destroying the game at the top level.

JeffDunne · Post: # 568489Post **JeffDunne** » Sat 17 May 2008 6:23pm

Had Kosi not taken the mark he'd have probably received a free kick.

The most frustrating aspect of that decision was the free Lockyer received not long after.

It was a 2 goal turn around through inconsistent umpiring.

joffaboy · Post: # 568500Post **joffaboy** » Sat 17 May 2008 6:37pm

JeffDunne wrote:Had Kosi not taken the mark he'd have probably received a free kick.

The most frustrating aspect of that decision was the free Lockyer received not long after.

It was a 2 goal turn around through inconsistent umpiring.

So what you are saying JD is that Kosi was better off not trying to win the ball but allow himself get the free for incidental contact?

And if that is the case isn't that an indictment on the way the spirit of Australian Rules football has been corrupted by the obsession of this current administration to take the essence of what made football great out of the game - physical strength contests?

Well the players throw themselves to the ground at every opportunity to get free kicks. Will make tonights FA Cup final look physically tough in comparision.

So disheartening it is to see something like that so close at hand and have an umpire deny it.

gooner · Post: # 568503Post **gooner** » Sat 17 May 2008 6:38pm

The most frustrating thing is that it's almost giving us an excuse.
Numerous games this year I've been unable to tell if we just weren't up to it or simply we were crucified by the umpiring.

I do not know of another sport in the world where the umpires are so vocal, so central to events, so self-important. They should move a team of umpires to the Gold Coast. Then they can run around backwards bouncing balls and giving hands in the back decisions to their hearts content.

joffaboy · Post: # 568508Post **joffaboy** » Sat 17 May 2008 6:43pm

gooner wrote:The most frustrating thing is that it's almost giving us an excuse.
Numerous games this year I've been unable to tell if we just weren't up to it or simply we were crucified by the umpiring.

you are correct. But I am not using the one decision as an excuse. Our skills were not up to it. We conceed at lest three goals in qtr 3 directly from turnovers going into our forward 50.

It is just so deflating and disheartening to see a wonderful example of forward play like that of Kosi get taken out of the game by an umpire intent on making himself the star of the contest not the players.

As I said i haven't seen the reply but really dont need to. I would have been 50 metres from the contest and it was just truly pathetic how an umpire could absolutely wreck a great part of the game.

saintspremiers · Sat 17 May 2008 8:15pm

absolutely spot on JB.

We deserved to lose, we played a lot of crap footy and IMO were 4 goals worse than the Pies overall, but that Kosi decision was a disgrace.

The really sad thing is the AFL will never own up to their bulls*** agendas and will keep trying to turn the game into basketball, as basketball is probably more popular than Aussie Rules in Sydney!

perfectionist · Sat 17 May 2008 8:22pm

50:50 decision, but the umpire was number 30 who gave the 70:30 against us in the 2004 PF resulting in a gift goal to PA in the last quarter. So, at least he is improving.

plugger66 · Post: # 568565Post **plugger66** » Sat 17 May 2008 8:22pm

The AFL are wrecking our chance for a premiership. Have done it every year except 1966.

Sainter_Boy · Sat 17 May 2008 8:24pm

It is the supporters game - Is it about time to take a class action against the AFL to get them to remove the rubbish rules such as this?????

bigcarl · Post: # 568571Post **bigcarl** » Sat 17 May 2008 8:26pm

disgraceful decision

what's more, the umpire knew he'd made a mistake.

perfectionist · Sat 17 May 2008 8:42pm

plugger66 wrote:The AFL are wrecking our chance for a premiership. Have done it every year except 1966.

Bring back Jeff Crouch I say!

Mr Magic · Post: # 568591Post **Mr Magic** » Sat 17 May 2008 8:43pm

plugger66 wrote:The AFL are wrecking our chance for a premiership. Have done it every year except 1966.

Well do something about it. You know people of influence doewn there, so just fix the problem!

joffaboy · Post: # 568595Post **joffaboy** » Sat 17 May 2008 8:46pm

plugger66 wrote:The AFL are wrecking our chance for a premiership. Have done it every year except 1966.

Why even bother to open the thread if you are going to contribute vacuous crap like this.

Really pathetic effort from he resident AFL sycophant who wil deride and belitle any post that doesn't wholeheartedly agree with every piece of propoganda crap that comes out of AFL headquarters.

If you are too much of a simpleton to actualy read the first post dont embarrass yourself by your sarcstic low form poor and idiot socalled wit.

Fair Dinkum, you say others on this forum need help, you certainly do with your simpering defence of anything remotely critical of the AFl or he way things are going. Your tongue must be very sore and Demetriou and Anderson arses must be bloody pristine clean with acolyte worshippers like you in toe.

Fool.